-LRB- CNN -RRB- James Best , best known for his portrayal of bumbling sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on TV 's `` The Dukes of Hazzard , '' died Monday after a brief illness . He was 88 .

Best died in hospice in Hickory , North Carolina , of complications from pneumonia , said Steve Latshaw , a longtime friend and Hollywood colleague .

Although he 'd been a busy actor for decades in theater and in Hollywood , Best did n't become famous until 1979 , when `` The Dukes of Hazzard 's '' cornpone charms began beaming into millions of American homes almost every Friday night .

For seven seasons , Best 's Rosco P. Coltrane chased the moonshine-running Duke boys back and forth across the back roads of fictitious Hazzard County , Georgia , although his `` hot pursuit '' usually ended with him crashing his patrol car .

Although Rosco was slow-witted and corrupt , Best gave him a childlike enthusiasm that got laughs and made him endearing . His character became known for his distinctive `` kew-kew-kew '' chuckle and for goofy catchphrases such as `` cuff 'em and stuff 'em ! '' upon making an arrest .

Among the most popular shows on TV in the early '80s , `` The Dukes of Hazzard '' ran until 1985 and spawned TV movies , an animated series and video games .

Several of Best 's `` Hazzard '' co-stars paid tribute to the late actor on social media .

`` I laughed and learned more from Jimmie in one hour than from anyone else in a whole year , '' co-star John Schneider , who played Bo Duke , said on Twitter . `` Give Uncle Jesse my love when you see him dear friend . ''

`` Jimmy Best was the most constantly creative person I have ever known , '' said Ben Jones , who played mechanic Cooter on the show , in a Facebook post . `` Every minute of his long life was spent acting , writing , producing , painting , teaching , fishing , or involved in another of his life 's many passions . ''

Born Jewel Guy on July 26 , 1926 , in Powderly , Kentucky , Best was orphaned at 3 and adopted by Armen and Essa Best , who renamed him James and raised him in rural Indiana . Best served in the Army during World War II before launching his acting career .

In the 1950s and 1960s , he accumulated scores of credits , playing a range of colorful supporting characters in such TV shows as `` The Twilight Zone , '' `` Bonanza , '' `` The Andy Griffith Show '' and `` Gunsmoke . '' He later appeared in a handful of Burt Reynolds ' movies , including `` Hooper '' and `` The End . ''

But Best will always be best known for his `` Hazzard '' role , which lives on in reruns .

`` Jimmie was my teacher , mentor , close friend and collaborator for 26 years , '' Latshaw said . `` I directed two of his feature films , including the recent ` Return of the Killer Shrews , ' a sequel he co-wrote and was quite proud of as he had made the first one more than 50 years earlier . ''

People we 've lost in 2015

CNN 's Stella Chan contributed to this story .

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James Best , who played the sheriff on `` The Dukes of Hazzard , '' died Monday at 88

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`` Hazzard '' ran from 1979 to 1985 and was among the most popular shows on TV